Queenspotting: Meet the Remarkable Queen Bee and Discover the Drama at the Heart of the Hive

by Hilary Kearney

At the heart of every bee hive is a queen bee. Since her well-being is linked to the well-being of the entire colony, the ability to find her among the residents of the hive is an essential beekeeping skill. In QueenSpotting, experienced beekeeper and professional "swarm catcher" Hilary Kearney challenges readers to 'spot the queen' with 48 fold-out queenspotting puzzles - vivid up-close photos of the queen hidden among her many subjects. QueenSpotting celebrates the unique, fascinating life of the queen bee chronicles of royal hive happenings such as The Virgin Death Match, The Nuptual Flight - when the queen mates with a cloud of male drones high in the air - and the dramatic Exodus of the Swarm from the hive. Readers will thrill at Kearney's adventures in capturing these swarms from the strange places they settle, including a Jet Ski, a couch, a speed boat, and an owl's nesting box. Fascinating, fun, and instructive, backyard beekeepers and nature lovers alike will find reason to return to the pages again and again.

Genres: Nonfiction, Animals, Science, Nature

128 pages, Hardcover

Published April 30, 2019

About the author

Hilary Kearney is the author of QueenSpotting and the creator of Girl Next Door Honey, a beekeeping business that offers educational opportunities to hundreds of new beekeepers each year. She maintains the blog Beekeeping Like A Girl and her writing on bees has appeared in Modern Farmer and Gritmagazines. Her work has been the subject of features in Huffington Post, Vogue, Mother Earth News, and other outlets. She rescues wild bee colonies and manages around 90 hives in her hometown of San Diego, California.

Reviews

[Clare O'Beara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a gorgeous, colourful and highly informative book about beekeeping and in particular dealing with queen bees. If you ever wanted to keep bees, or rescue a swarm from an inappropriate place, or assist a pro beekeeper, this is your book.

We do not get sections on diseases and mites, just many photos of differently coloured queens among workers, so we learn to spot the queens. Indeed, some queens have a colour coded spot of paint on their backs. The colour relates to the year they hatched, since queens can live up to seven years. Hilary, who has many rescued hives, tells us all about her experiences and adds more bee facts and queen facts than you realised were required to provide honey. The writing is pleasant, convivial, fact filled but never dry; at times even emotional.

I downloaded an e-ARC from Net Galley. This is an unbiased review.

[Jared Gulian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A light, fun, informative read. There are nearly 50 'Where's Waldo' style fold-out photos of bee frames which challenge you to spot the queen among all the workers. Those pages are a pleasure and they really taught me a lot. But the book is also full of bee facts, charming anecdotes about beekeeping and swarm catching, and lots of gorgeous photography in general. I picked up this book because I'm obsessed with bees and because books about bees inform my thriller novels about a reclusive beekeeper. In particular this book helped me to understand and appreciate queens. Good fun.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating read! I couldn’t find any of the queens, but ce est la vie...

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Queenspotting is a new beekeeping book by Hilary Kearney. Due out in April, 2019 from Storey publishing, it's 128 pages and will be available in ebook and hardcover formats.

This is not, strictly speaking, a how-to book. It's full of anecdotes and warm personal experiences from the author's background as a beekeeper and swarm relocator. It's also absolutely bursting with amazing high quality macro photography of bees going about their bee business. Some of the photographs illustrate the text and show little-known facets of daily life ('pollen pants' made me giggle out loud). Many other full double page photos are a sort of bee 'Where's Waldo' and the point is to pick out the queen amongst the workers. Some of the pics are very easy with the queen in full view in all her splendor, front and centre. Others are are definitely not (and a few are a bit tricksy, with drone(s) drawing the eye immediately and the queen almost hidden out of view).

The natural science and behavior parts of the book are well written and scientifically accurate. Where a behavior has little scientific explanation, the author states that very clearly. Several times whilst reading the book, I found myself wistfully thinking about how much research still needs to be done and wishing I could further the research myself in some way (I'm a bioengineer working in histopathology, not an entomologist, but it was a close race). Ms. Kearney's genuine affection and respect for the natural world come through clearly in her writing. There were a very few places in the text which might have shaded a bit into anthropomorphism, but they added to the general appeal of the book, in my opinion It is folksy and absolutely not dry or technical and for me, that made it better and more accessible in a way. There are a million and one solid technical manuals aimed at the apiarist, and this is not one of them. It fills a different (and necessary) niche.

I would definitely recommend this both to bee interested folks, beekeepers, natural history/farming fans, dedicated natural gardeners, families with kids who love 'Where's Waldo' and anyone who likes natural history philosophy. This book would also make a nice support reference for a classroom unit on insects or beekeeping.

Five stars, another winner from Storey!

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[Theediscerning · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's slightly hard to judge this from an unfinished e-arc – the script repeats itself when it won't, and part of the core shtick of the volume – that of finding the queen bee in amongst double-page spreads of swarms and hives – is not fully there. What I can judge leaves me with some doubt as to its ultimate audience. It discusses marked queens before ever mentioning how and why they are marked, it never eases you in with the basics (although I assume from some font colour changes we'll get a glossary), and while it has many page-long box-outs, to cover the author's misadventures in a world of bees, it carries on its own sweet way discussing its contents without ever feeling fully welcome for the non-keeper. As a result it very much smacks of preaching to the converted – I suspect you'd have a hive in your garden or at your school before you were fully au fait with the contents here. And then you get the feeling that the pictorial puzzles – even if adepts at Where's Wally are better than adults – are a little bit like childish padding. To the right audience this may well be fine, but I remained unconvinced.

[Ren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always been fascinated with bees. This book lets the reader in on the secrets and magic of the hive and teaches how to locate a queen amongst the worker bees. Along with an abundance of information about bees, the reader is also treated to entertaining and interesting stories from the author's own experience as a beekeeper. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in bees or beekeeping.

Thank you to the author Hilary Kearney, Storey Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. All comments are my own, unbiased opinion.

[James Cross · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great idea, lovely informative prose, gorgeous pictures. I've learned more about what amazing and odd creatures bees are and how special the queens role is. Lovely.

[Stacy Tomaszewski · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an engaging, fun, colorful exploration of the life of the hive, focusing on the queen.

[Misfits farm · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful colourful read for anyone interested in bees. This begins by saying why spot the queen and giving several reasons for doing so. Here in the UK we would maybe add one extra reason. For us one of the main reasons for finding the queen is to see if she is still there and actively laying eggs. Seeing eggs can be one method but if you see the queen you definitely know she is present. The next section is inside the hive and gives the jobs of the bees. There are some stunning pictures in this book and it would make a perfect coffee table book that could be enjoyed by both adults and children alike. I enjoyed the story about swarm removal. Anyone who has tried to do this will know its never as easy as you first think. Plan A quickly turns to b,c,d…. you get the picture. The book covers everything from the role of each type of bee, the dances they perform, turning nectar into honey and even storing honey. There are several pictures of “just bees” interspersed throughout the book. Each one has a queen in! (there are answers at the back!) Excellent practice- as she is sometimes rather elusive to say the very least. An interesting, educational read not just for the beekeeper. A perfect mix of pictures, stories and facts.

[Mandie Weber Burns · Rating 4 out of 5]

So very informative and written so informatively-yet entertainingly! I grabbed this as the pictures were amazing and I had always wondered about beekeeping-and I learned tons! My husband actually read this as well-although it was because we were stuck in our Airbnb as a result of a tornado in the area, and he enjoyed it. We are actually thinking of getting bees now!
.
Favorite Lines:
.
"...Drones are easily recognized by their square box, large powerful wings, and enormous eyes. These attributes increase their chances of mating with a queen-an act that is performed while in flight! The successful drone meets an unfortunate fate, however; upon copulation, his penis explodes and detaches from his body, a fatal injury that ends his life." (I know bizarre, random but totally made me crack up laughing!!)
.
#2019bookchallenge #33of52books #queenspotting #hilarykearney

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky to receive a digital ARC of this book from Storey Publishing via NetGalley

This book fascinated me. With beautiful photos and informative and engaging writing, Hilary Kearney brings us along on her journey to where the bees live. We learn about every stage of a bee's life, from worker bees to the queen.

This is an important time for our little honey collectors. So many things are affecting our hives, from pollution and agrochemicals to mites and viruses. But we need our bees - our lives depend on them!

Kearney shows us the beauty and importance of bees and helps us to understand just what goes on in and outside of the hives.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful photos, fun fold-out pictures to practice finding the queen bee, detailed synopsis of honeybee life cycle. A problem for me: I don’t understand why zero research is cited and there are no references listed at all. Sure, some information is common knowledge among beekeepers but I’m sure there are facts she’s telling, such as the democratic way a swarm picks a new home, that came from specific research (Thomas D. Seeley’s research at Cornell University). Librarians are nerds like that but I don’t know that I’ve ever read a non-fiction book that gave no credit to previous researchers or citations of where she got her info or any references for further reading. Hmmm.

[Mandy Saial · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love gardening like me , then you have to love bees .
I thought this book was beautiful with all it's vivid bold colored pages , the pictures are amazing .If you wanted to get up close to a bee this book takes care of that for you .
Their are many questions answered in this book that I have always wondered about bees and beekeeping in general .
I also enjoyed the queenspotting challenges as well very interactive .

[Kasey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is wonderful. I learned so much specific, curious information about queen bees and the queenspotting challenges were very fun, my husband and I enjoyed racing to see who could spot the queen first. I'm so impressed by Kearney's stories and the photos are amazing. They really provided helpful visuals for some aspects of the brood process I still had questions about. Great book for new beekeepers or bee enthusiasts.

[Jana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book with great information for beekeepers as well as entertaining anecdotal stories that help you understand bee culture. I absolutely love the pages that are just masses of bees and you have to find the queen in them. Fun but also great practice when you are a new beekeeper trying to learn how to find your queen in the hive. The book is packed with great photos of bees. Highly recommend!

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok since we all know that honey is the only food on earth that never spoils...this book enlightens you on the Queen's life and all that she does to keep her hive going. Amazing really. She doesn't fly very well because of her short wings and heavy body weight but the worker bees help her go on a diet to lose ⅓ of her body weight before she swarms. She also emits a "quacking" sound when she 1st emerges from her cell. Read on....you'll be amazed.

[Natan Rosseel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Een heel mooie uitgave vanuit de passie van de imker en niet het zoveelste 'imkeren voor dummies' boekje. Over elke pagina, foto, tekst en lay-out is goed nagedacht. Duidelijke, vlot leesbare info over de Queen, werksters en darren, het leven en de organisatie binnen de volken.
De 'waar is wallie' - zoek de koningin - foto's zijn leuke rustmomenten tussen het lezen door.
Een must have voor elke imker maar evengoed leesbaar voor wie de wonderlijke bijenwereld wil leren kennen.

[SilverReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was able to read an advanced copy of this fascinating book. Growing up we were all taught that there was a queen bee, but who knew there was so much dependence on just her. Kearney gives the reader a real feel for what it takes to rescue or move a swarm. A book that will appeal to teens and above for reading. The pictures alone are worth picking this up.

[Dale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book after my first four-hour foray into beekeeping and hive maintenance. I spotted and marked a queen in one of the hives, but missed queens in two others. And then I saw this beautiful book and read it in one sitting. A great introduction to beekeeping in general, but the beautiful photographs/puzzles make this an easy five-start book.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book on Queen bees, even for the intermediate beekeeper! I have to say it’s probably my favorite all my bee books and the queenspotting challenges were so much fun. The last 6 or so stumped me even part of the time. The color photos are probably part of what makes this so great. A great gift book!

[Donald Stockley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent introduction to beekeeping. Hilary has always produced excellent work in her blog, on demand training videos, educational materials and now this book. Geared more towards non beekeepers still a very informative book with some great anecdotes of her adventures.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun and informative book! The pictures are gorgeous and the narrative is well written and easy to read. I thoroughly enjoyed trying too find the queen on the inserts and found the information invaluable as a first year beekeeper. I also follow the author’s blog and Facebook page.

[Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful celebration of honey bees, and of the queens in particular. Kearney even includes challenge photo pages in which the reader is encouraged to find the queen bee in the midst of all the workers and drones. A bee-eautiful read.

[Jenny Phelps · Rating 5 out of 5]

Foldout photos of hive frames so crisp and delicious you can almost hear the pages hum. Excellent queen spotting practice for novice and expert beekeepers. Within the craft of beekeeping there is always something more to learn, this book adds to ones knowledge and confidence.

[Lizzie S · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so fun! A quick, easy introduction to the fascinating lives of bees. I wasn't a huge fan of the queenspotting puzzles and skipped most of them, but I really enjoyed learning more about bees.

[Cara S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! She guides you on a journey into the wonderful world of bees and the queen, while taking detours into her swarm catching stories and learning how to spot the queen in these gorgeous bee-autiful layouts. Well done!

[Thuy Pham · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short and wonderful delight of a book! Make my inner child giggle a bit. The queen finding activities was challenging but I gradually got a hang of it. I think when I get older, I will learn how to keep bees.

[Chils27 · Rating 5 out of 5]

a very good book full of 1st hand experience and observation. Queen spotting is very important technic for beekeeper.This book provides 48 pictures queenspotting challenges so you can train your eyes without opening the hives.

[Cheryl]

Beautiful and highly recommended to any kid doing a report on bees or beekeeping, or any family wondering whether it's a hobby (obsession?) to adopt. I just don't have time to read it and want to get it back to the library for others. August 2023

[Patsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book great pictures , interesting antidotes , fun queen spotting games and good information.
This book is well written and I highly recommend it.